child of magic
by nyura-vanko
Summary: Harry Potter has succeeded in all his goals. Having fulfilled a Prophecy, and ended the war, all he wants now is to rest: The peace and freedom that death offers. Magic has other ideas, however, for her blessed child. Elfling!Harry Family!Dwarves WARNING: May have triggers- Please read 1st Ch. A.N.
1. Chapter 1

WARNING: this fic contains mentions of abuse, rape, self harm and gore. if you are triggered by such things the please do not read it.

Disclaimer: I don't own shit.

The sky was dark and grey outside number 4 privet drive, wind whipping at the perfectly manicured lawns and rose bushes lining the cloned street and rain pelting down on the identical roof's harshly. The house itself was empty save a few abandoned bits of furniture and the occasional broken toy.

Standing silently in the hallway, watching all of this with silent bitterness was none other than the worlds "saviour". For years the house had been his prison. He was beaten and abused, neglected and lied to for his entire young life. Finding out he had been a wizard had been the best thing to ever happen to him. But they had sullied that too.

His expression grew pained, lips thinning and eyes taking on a particularly glassy sheen from tears. He had been innocent and abused, nothing but a child. So easily he had trusted when "love" of friendship and that of a grandparent had been so freely given. The freak had been granted something he had always dreamed of! Friends, family, care and love!

Oh how wrong he had been.

Sometimes he still wished he could go back and warn his younger self. Warn him from the "friends"who's only interest in him had been the money the headmaster had lined their pockets with. Warn him from the "grandfather" like man, who's only interest in him had been one of a chess piece in his grand game.

The "greater good" indeed...

In the end he knew he wouldn't change a thing. He had done his job. Had fulfilled his prophecy, and now, he would get peace.

Glancing down at his hands, the skinny, broken, young man watched the fine tremors racing through his frame. It seemed the poison was taking affect. It wouldn't be long now.

Finally his legs gave out under him and with a faint grunt he found himself sinking to the floor, blood trickling from his lips, and the empty potion bottle falling with a clunk from his now limp hand.

Despite the pain now sluggishly crawling through his veins, the young saviour was happy. He would be free of the manipulations, free of the expectations, and best of all, free of the memories.

Slowly, numbness claimed his limbs fully and with a gargling laugh that slowly drifted into more of a drowning cough, he fell. His body twitched and jerked spasmodically in his death throes, blood foaming and slipping past his lips as green eyes dulled and finally rolled back.

Darkness settled. His chest stilled.

And magic wailed in despair.

-  
>authors notes: sooo... first fic upload. tell me what you think. this is more like a teaser chapter intro to see if anyone is interested in this story.<br>if you have any constructive criticism please let me know, or any suggestions again please let me know. or if you just need to talk then please don't hold back, I'm here for you.


	2. Chapter 2

Agony.

That was all he could feel when he woke. Agony racing through his body. He knew this pain. This was the pain that came from being a freak, the pain that came from his "punishments" from the Dursleys.

With a groan he opened his eyes, instantly shutting them again at the brightness around him. A soft whimper escaped chapped lips and he found himself scowling in confusion. This felt wrong. His body felt wrong. His mind felt wrong. And strangely, for the first time he could remember, his magic actually felt RIGHT.

Gone was the vast empty feeling in his core, the feeling of something being missing. The feeling of something being wrong.

In its place, his whole body felt like it was thrumming with power, like everything that was missing had clicked into place.

In his excitement, he tried to sit up and was swiftly reminded why he had been laying in the first place.

Pain slammed into him and tore a scream from his lips. Almost as quickly as it had come, it stopped and his eyes snapped open in shock.

That was not the scream of a seventeen year old boy with a lifetime of learning how to stay quiet under his belt. That was the scream of a child. That was a scream he had not heard since he was but five years old. The scream he had learnt to silence swiftly or else be "punished".

The boy trembled, silently looking down at himself and letting out another horrified sound that was quickly swallowed. Looking down at himself he did not see a lanky teens body, with wizarding robes clinging to an underweight frame. No, what he saw was the body of his five year old self, clad in the oversized clothing of his whale of a cousin.

A sob of confusion and panic tore from his throat as he ran his hands over his young face, trembling at the feel of his scar under his messy fringe, and the broken glasses sitting on his pert little nose.

The young child could feel his heart beginning to race in his thin chest, feeling as though it was trying to eat its way out of his chest. He let out strangled gasps for air as he clutched at his shirt, looking round with wide eyes. This was not the house that had been his prison for so long, this was not his cupboard.

Surrounding him was grass and flowers, perfectly spaced in their natural chaos rather then the "prim and proper" forced organisation of his aunts garden.

Staggering to his feet, ignoring the agonised twinges to his small body, he looked around, trembling in panic as he took in the massive looming forest surrounding him.

From the young boys perspective, everything looked massive. Grand trees stood tall and proud before him, plants scattered around their bases, constantly stretching and reaching upwards, as if striving to be as tall as the trees, desperate to touch the sun. the occasional boulder and rock sat spaced unevenly between the trees and along the ground, providing ample space for tiny creatures and insects to hid from predators in the moist soil.

Another cry ripped from his throat before he threw his small hands over his mouth to muffle his sounds, body trembling and quaking in panic.

He was meant to be dead! He didn't remember everything, but he knew that was what he had been doing! He shouldn't be here! Where ever this was it was wrong! He was wrong! He was supposed to die!

Crying out again, the sound muffled but no less distressed, the young child staggered back again, looking around before setting his eyes on a slim crack between two massive boulders. Sobbing he raced to it, ignoring the agony twisting itself deeper in his little body. Slipping into the groove easily, he sobbed backing up until he could go no further and sinking to the ground, knobbly little knees folded against his thin chest as he sobbed in the darkness, letting the panic slowly drag him into a state of unconsciousness forced by his hyperventilating.

Eventually, the boy lay still, curled on himself and cloaked in darkness. Oblivious as he was to the world, he did not hear the soft sad crooning, nor feel the gentle caress of magic as she looked over her poor child.

He would be safe here, protected and loved. Here he would be given a new chance and healed slowly by the hands of many.

Gently she pulled away from her child. She had healed the young boys magic, from the binds and poison that the wizard world had put on and in him. However she would not touch his physical wounds. The boy needed to be healed slowly and steadily and the guardians she had chosen would have to know the pain her child had suffered if they were to heal him properly.

Lifting her gaze to beyond the grand forest her child had been brought to, she gazed upon the 13 whom would find her child.

Soon, soon they would arrive, and the healing would begin.

authors notes: whelp... welcome to chapter 2? I guess? I'm not sure ill be very fast with adding chapters to this story. I might go days with nothing then suddenly have days where I will upload 4 chapters at once, who knows.  
>I would like to thank the ones who have already faved and followed this story. and i hope that i do not disappoint.<br>as always I would really love some comments on this story, I haven't received any yet but i would love some!  
>and if you just need to talk please always feel free. I'm here for you.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Authors notes: alright brief warning before I continue on with the chapter. EVERYONE LIVES! I am not following the cannon because I'm a little shit and its fucking fan-fiction (seriously that's the point of it) Any flaming in regards the change of cannon lines will be promptly ignored and sent to the bog of eternal stench courtesy of captain glitter pants himself!  
>Now... without further ado, chapter three!<p>

The branches of the old trees swayed and shifted before the thirteen dwarves eerily. Wind lightly played with the leaves making them dance and flutter around their feet as they stood watching and waiting for their leader to make his choice.

A gruff and irritated sigh finally left their prince, his furrowed brow seeming to dip deeper with each passing second.

"Come along... we can rest in a few hours or so, there's a river a few miles ahead. We will rest there."

Multiple muffled groans were the replies from the tired group as they trudged after their soon to be king into the large forest.

For hours they walked, the day drawing closer to a close when they heard it.

A loud, terrified scream.

At first they simply all froze, hands going for their weapons as they eyed the surrounding forest with trepidation. Silence echoed on for a few moments, and the youngest ones of the group slowly started to relax again.

Again a loud horrified and frightened cry echoed through the forest and several of the dwarves paled.

That was a child's cry.

All it took was one look at each other for them all to spring into action. Dwarves being notoriously protective of their young. Trap or not, they would save this child.

Despite the weariness in their limbs and the heavy armour they were clad in, every single one of them ran, leapt and searched with equal fervour.

It took them hours, the light fading faster then any of them would have liked when finally they found something.

Dwalin kneeled silently, lightly touching the ground where a small indent in the grass could be found. He would have likely ignored such a thing, if not for the mostly dry patch of blood he found there.

"Thorin! I've found something!" He bellowed, only to freeze as he heard a soft whimper not meters away. Turning slowly, his eyes widened as he spotted the small barely visible form curled up between two massive boulders. Just with one look the male knew there would be no reaching the child unless it made its own way out.

"Dwalin! What is it? Sho- "

"Shhh!"

The tattooed male hissed at his dumbfounded future king, holding up a large hand to silence him. Said male visibly bristled, looking ready to snap at him when he too finally realised what Dwalin was looking at.

Eventually the rest of the company joined the two and peered into the deep crack between the rocks, eyeing the small barely visible form inside.

Creeping forward, Dwalin tried to gently smile at the frightened and obviously injured child.

"Hello there... are you okay young one? "

There was silence for a few moments before the whole company froze, some gasping in awe.

Two bright green eyes, shining brighter then the most beautiful of emerald's, peered out at them from the darkness.

Authors notes: this was a bitch to write, I honestly cant remember much about the dwarves except for ori, bifur, bofur and dwalin lol  
>ahh well.<br>next chapter, is harry's reactions to the company.  
>please feel free to ask a butt load of questions, i love them i honestly do.<br>please review! it helps get my writing juices flowing! (that sounds so wrong)


	4. Chapter 4

A choked whimper escaped from chapped lips as Harry heard a male voice shout something in words he couldn't understand. For a moment, he felt panic flood his veins, thinking his entire life had been merely a dream and that Uncle Vernon had come home early to punish his freakish nephew. Cold seeped into his thin form and he shivered, remembering just where he was, or perhaps the more accurate thing to say would be, where he wasn't. Tears filled his eyes and rolled down his cheeks as he resolutely kept his eyes shut, wishing beyond hope that this was all just some horrible dream. A gravely, but surprisingly gentle voice interrupted his thoughts and his eyes snapped open wide, suddenly remembering why he had woken in the first place.

There, kneeling by the entrance to his little hiding place, was a rather massive man, with unusually thick features and tribal like designs lacing their way over a bald, scarred head. Standing behind him, other strangely thick set men, all armed to the teeth and dressed in odd fur clothing and metal armour, were peering in at him. Instantly he shrunk back, letting out a sound of fear and distress at the sight. He knew any one of them could easily over power him. Would they beat him like his "family"? Manipulate him like his headmaster? Try to kill him like Riddle? Lost in his panic, he didn't notice the confused expressions of the company of dwarves crouching outside his hiding place, nor the worried glances between the older ones.

"Ori? Perhaps you should try... " The large tattooed one spoke worriedly, shifting out of the way as one of the smallest dwarves, a rather gangly looking dwarf dressed in an over sized sweater, moved forward hesitantly.

The red headed dwarf hesitantly crouched down and gave an awkward little wave to him as he kneeled there. "He-hello... I'm Ori... do you want to come out of there?" The shy dwarf asked, fiddling with his thickly knitted shirt nervously.

Shaking his head quickly, Harry sniffled softly, eyeing the thin dwarf warily, his hair reminding him painfully of someone he once thought of as his best friend. Tired, hungry, in pain and overwhelmed, the young child sobbed harder. The sound itself was heart breaking to the dwarves.

"Oh-oh dear..." Ori mumbled nervously, quickly backing away as everyone looked at each other helplessly.

Heaving another deep sigh, Thorin ran a hand through his hair and glared at nothing for a moment before mumbling his order to the group. "We will set up camp here... " Several nodded and everyone set out quickly to do what needed to be done before they fully lost the daylight. Bofur plopped down by the entrance of the little hideaway and smiled at the small child within as Bifur grumbled something and settled himself on the other side of it, pulling out a piece of wood and beginning to whittle away. Ignoring his grumbling cousin, Bofur smiled in at the small child he could barely see hidden in the crack, bright almost unnaturally green eyes peering back at him nervously.

"Hullo! The names Bofur! What's yours?" The cheerful male smiled wide, trying to earn a smile from the small damaged youngling. Only his cousin and brother knew how he really felt, could see the worry in his kind brown eyes, and the steely protectiveness flaring there. Bofur had always been a particularly protective dwarf, as had Bifur before his injury had muddled his head. Both had been ecstatic when Bomburs children were born and had been very protective of them ever since.

Sighing deeply when he received no response from the young child, he looked away and towards the large forest for a while. What had brought a small child to such a place? As far as he knew, they were a good two days walk to any town or village. He shook his head, plaits flicking around comically with the movement and the flaps of his hat bobbing oddly in a way that usually made children laugh. Silence was all he heard and he frowned for a moment before opening up his bag and grabbing some of the bread from inside.

"Would you like some food?" Bofur smiled, holding out a piece of the bread through the crack the child had hidden itself in.

For a while Bofur received no response, then slowly the young child shuffled forward and small, soft and very cold fingers gently plucked the bread from his own. Wide green eyes watched him warily as if expecting him to lash out or pull it back, but all the miner did was smile brightly at the faint outline of a face he could see.

Pulling his hand back, he bobbed his head happily that they had made some progress and broke his portion of bread again, handing some to Bifur before starting to eat, noting with some confusion that the child did not begin until he had. For a while they sat silent, munching away as questions ran rampant through the dwarfs mind, the silence finally interrupted by Bifur's rumbling voice.

Hearing his cousin's mumbled words in the old language, Bofur froze and paled, almost dropping his bread in shock as his cousin's words finally clicked. The child had expected to be poisoned.

Bofur looked back in silently at the small form, nibbling away at the bread hungrily, no longer paying attention to him. What kind of small child had to fear of being poisoned every time they ate? He shook his head worriedly, eyeing his brother Bombur as he fiddled around with the cooking supplies near the fire. Debating with himself on what to do, Bofur gave an absent nod as Bifur once again spoke up, rumbling a suggestion before he went back to whittling his newest creation.

Bofur stood, feeling somewhat numb from the worry for the child and the questions of the child's past in his mind, as he walked over to his brother Bombur and patted him on the shoulder in greeting. Bombur himself, frowned as he saw the lack of cheeky joy on his brother's face, pausing in his cooking he turned to face the other dwarf.

" Is there a problem brother?" He asked worriedly, not used to seeing his usually teasing and joyful brother so sombre.

Bofur shook his head slowly and sighed glancing towards Bifur and the hidden child before speaking. " I just gave the child some of that bread we had yesterday. The little one expected it to be poisoned Bombur..." Bofur shook his head again in dismay. "Maybe make sure to keep the food in plain view when you serve it for them?"

Bomburs, expression of shock and anger said it all, and with a muted nod the brothers parted.

Bofur slipped back and with a sigh settled beside the child's hiding place again, taking out his clarinet and beginning a jaunty playful little tune in hopes of slowly coaxing the little one out of their hiding place.

The time seemed to drag on for the company as everyone finally settled down to have dinner and rest for the night. Even Kili and Fili were subdued as everyone worried over the child they knew next to nothing about. Bifur seemed to be the only one unbothered, as he sat there silently humming to himself and carving away at the block of wood in his hands.

Dinner ended up being rather telling as the child barely touched the bowl of stew until everyone else began to eat. The usual jaunty songs, silly jokes and exaggerated tales were not told this night as on so many others. Everyone seemed to be worried over the events of the afternoon and the questions running through their minds were practically visible in the air above the campfire.

Bofur had long since given up using music to lure the young one out, letting his cousin hum away to himself instead as he fiddled with his pipe, ignoring the rhythmic scraping sound of Bifur's knife over the wood.

Bofur was about to speak up to Bifur when a soft shuffling sound was heard very close by. No one willing to startle or frighten the child, this having been the first move the young one had made to leave its hideaway since they had arrived.

A few of the others further away by the camp fire, perked up as they caught sight of things, seeming rather shocked by what ever was taking place.

Curiosity finally peeked too high, Bofur subtly shifted his head and glanced to see what the others were seeing, blinking in surprise aswell. Sitting at the mouth of the two boulders that made its hiding place, was a rather emaciated and tiny looking child. Its head was covered in a thick mop of the blackest hair he had ever seen. Its skin was pale white and seemed to have never been touched by the sun. It was dressed in a baggy shirt that looked to belong to a child much older and much larger then this one, and a pair of pants that appeared to belong to the same oversized child. A strange pair of old and worn out shoes covered what were undoubtedly tiny feet.

The whole company was shocked to see that it was Bifur, the boy—as they could now see he was—hadfinally been coaxed out by. The young boy sat just a few inches from his hiding place, silently watching as Bifur worked on his carving. A wolf, they realised, was what the dwarf had been working on.

Bifur simply continued to hum the tune, and whittle away at the toy he was making. Oh, the dwarf knew the child was there and watching, had heard as he slowly shuffled his way forwards every little while to try and get a better look at what he was doing. It was why he had not moved an inch since he sat there, knowing the youngling would make his way out on his own time.

Bofur watched on silently as the child they had been trying to coax out all afternoon finally settled mere inches from Bifur to watch him carve. He was relieved they had finally made more progress, but the relief was nothing compared to the worry he felt when he got a good look at the little boy. And almost desperately he hoped that the light of the camp fire was playing with the shadows. He did not want to think about the marks he was sure were hand shaped bruises on the little ones tiny figure.

It was going to be a long night.

Authors notes: so this chapter is longer then the others, I am going to start writing them longer from now on I think, thanks to a suggestion from one of my beta readers.  
>Please comment and review and ask all the questions you want. I thrive off reviews, comments and questions! :D<br>A big thanks to my Beta readers. I have a few who have offered to help. I find each and eery one of them bring something to the table I hadn't thought of previously ( there always seems to be something I have missed))

so thank you to  
>Perminatly Lost In Thought<p>

-sonofChaos  
>allietheepic7<p>

Nicole Fazbear


	5. Chapter 5

Harry was deeply confused by these people. They spoke like some of the people on his aunt's favourite show. Old English he thought it was called. It made him realise even more so than before that he was not where he was meant to be. This made him warier then usual as he eyed the two large people sitting either side of his little hideaways entrance. It made him feel like, if he got too close, they would reach out and snap him up. He found it was the cheery one with the funny hat that unnerved him the most. He was showing too much interest, and Harry knew that people only ever showed so much interest in him if they wanted to hurt him or make him do something. He wasn't sure why he knew that, but he knew something had happened that made him believe it.

The other one, made him pause, silently eyeing the axe head lodged in the males skull. He was big. Big just like the others and obviously just as strong. However for some reason, he didn't feel as scared of him. The male had shown little interest in him, simply giving him a polite nod and grunt before he sat on the other side of the entrance and started cutting at a piece of wood.

Harry might have once been seventeen, but he had always been overly curious like a child, always exploring things he shouldn't have. This it seems, was one of those times. Very soon, Harry found himself unable to resist shuffling forward a tiny bit. The male he was intent on watching never responded and he found his progress was only hampered every time the one in the hat, Bofur he reminded himself, tried to get his attention. Eventually however, he seemed to give up. Bofur sitting there smoking some kind of pipe whilst the one Harry had been watching, simply continued to carve at the block of wood and hum in a deep rumbling tone. He found it oddly comforting. It was dark before he finally found enough courage to shuffle the last bit closer, peering at the carving of a wolf slowly taking form in the male's hold. The young child was so intent on watching the action, that he missed the shock that was being aimed towards him by the group of thickset people. Bifur, simply smiled slightly to himself as he kept humming, hands moving expertly over the piece of wood and slowly turning it into a toy wolf. He glanced faintly at the little child beside him, and blinked in surprise as he saw how very tiny he was.

The little boy had an almost pixie like face, that was far too gaunt to be healthy. Strange black rimmed, clear screens sat on his little nose, covering his eyes. His hair, seemed to stick up in every direction, falling over a young pale forehead where he could faintly spot a thin angry looking scar. His clothing was also strange, a form of material he could not remember ever seeing before, that looked thin and unhelpful in keeping the skinny frame warm, even more so thanks to its oversized nature. Looking back up at the face, he found himself peering down into bright emerald eyes, with an almost unnatural glow to them. This made him finally snap out of his inspections, realising he had stopped carving and the boy had now tensed up beside him, looking and waiting with fearful eyes for some kind of response. Bifur didn't want to scare the child off, so instead he simply gave a soft grunt and a nod with a smile at the boy before turning back to continue his carving, humming softly as he went.

It wasn't until a number of minutes later, when he felt the tiny form finally settle beside him and faintly lean into him, that he realised he had passed some kind of test in the boys eyes. The rest of the company watched on in stunned silence, as the boy they had been trying to coax out with song and smiles, finally was lured out by the most quiet of the group for simply being ignored. They watched on as the tiny boy and Bifur shared a few moments staring at each other, all of them holding their breath, hoping the boy didn't go scrambling back into his hiding place. There was a collective sigh of relief as Bifur seemed to pass some kind of test and the young child actually curled up against the males side, to watch him carve.

The group didn't dare to interrupt the peace that had been formed as they watched the small child silently. It wasn't until the child fell asleep curled against Bifur's side, that everyone relaxed and allowed themselves to all move around. Bifur remained where he was, grunting softly in thanks to his cousin as the dwarf handed him his bedding. Instead of laying down himself, the male finally set aside his half done carving, and slowly gently shifted the young child to lay on the blankets, gently covering the small form up before relaxing back against the stone behind him, trying not to think about how very light the boy had been.

Going back to his carving, he did not allow the other dwarves to move or come near the child that night, speaking up in the old language to remind them that the boy would need to wake up with out things changing too much or he would panic and never trust them. Mutely the others agreed and all silently settled down for the night, Bifur's humming and the soft crackling of the fire being the only thing interrupting the silence of the night.

The night went by peacefully, disturbed only by loud snoring from some of the company, and the soft occasional whimper from the young sleeping boy by Bifur's side. Harry was surprisingly the first to wake out of the group who had slept, tensing as he felt someone near him only to calm as he realised it was the one with the axe in his head from before.

Slowly little Harry sat up, removing his glasses and rubbing his little eyes with a yawn and a wince, blinking as he felt something drop into his lap lightly. Hesitantly he slipped on his glasses and gasped softly in awe at the wooden wolf toy in his lap. Gingerly his little fingers ran over it and he looked up at the male beside him with a questioning expression. Said male grunted softly and gestured that it was for him to keep, offering a smile to him as he did. Harry found himself tearing up in gratitude, giving him a watery smile as his little hands clutched the wooden toy to his thin chest, lightly stroking over the carving in delight as he sat there, speaking up for the first time.

"Th-thank you sir..." Harry whispered softly.

Bifur blinked and smiled down at the timid little boy, lightly ruffling his already messy hair and ignoring the flinch as he did so, knowing he would have to start out small to get the child's trust. Bifur absently watched as the child inspected the toy, as though he had never received such a thing in his life. Taking this time, Bifur used the distraction to get a better look at the boy, feeling his heart sink as he did. The young lad had scars, bruises and wounds from head to toe. From the scar on his little head. The hand shaped bruises on his delicate neck. The blood stains and fresh looking wounds hidden poorly by the oversized tee shirt, all the way down to the dark bruises and nicks he could see on the child's leg where his pants had been rolled up so he could walk in the oversized clothing. Every single bit of it screamed abuse, and by the looks of how very emaciated the young lad was, most likely starvation as well. Such a thing would incur the death penalty among the dwarven people. Young ones considered to be a rare gift to be treasured and loved. His anger raged with in him but he bit it back, knowing it would only frighten the child further. From the looks on the faces of the dwarves that had stayed up, they too were furious at the thought of anyone treating a child in such a manner.

His inner musings were stopped as he saw Bombur wake and start setting up and cooking breakfast. Grunting softly he gently tapped the boys shoulder, watching the faint flinch as he did. Instantly, bright eyes met his and he smiled, gesturing to himself and rumbling the one thing he could still say in common tongue. Names.

"Bifur" He said softly and gently gestured to the boy. For a few moments he looked confused before his eyes lit up in understanding.

Timidly, the young boy gestured to himself with the hand not clutching his new toy. "H-harry..." He said timidly, biting his bottom lip as he waited for a reaction anxiously.

Bifur nodded pleased and gave him a smile, gesturing gently to the young one "Harry" before gesturing to himself "Bifur".

The child smiled blindingly seeming quite happy and nodded excitedly repeating the males name back to him to make sure he got it right

" your names Bifur?" He asked.

Bifur nodded smiling and ruffling the boys hair again before starting to gesture to all of the dwarves one by one, speaking loud enough that the now awake dwarves could hear, each giving a little wave or playful bow when they heard their name called. "Bofur, Bombur, Dwalin, Balin, Oin, Gloin, Dori, Nori, Ori, Kili, Fili, Thorin."

Harry listened attentively, smiling and nodding nervously to each person as their name was mentioned, giving a small grin as the Kili and Fili, both gave a silly dramatic bows as their names were called. Subtly he shifted closer to Bifur, eyeing the others warily but a lot less afraid now. Bifur obviously trusted them, maybe he should give them a chance too. Maybe he could learn to trust them.

-  
>Authors notes:<br>Please tell me what you think, and if you have any suggestions or questions I would really love to hear them!  
>Sorry for the late upload! Hopefully I can get a number of chapters done in the next few days and ill upload them in a chunk maybe :3 depends.<p>

Love yall!


	6. Chapter 6

Breakfast was an interesting affair, with Bifur being the only one so far allowed close to young Harry, and the rest of the company mutely sitting around the now dead fire wondering how to go about earning the little lad's trust so they could continue their journey.

Eventually, it was Bifur who fixed this problem. The male stood with a soft grunt from his half asleep legs, patting the dirt from his thick clothes before gently holding out a large hand to the small boy. Little Harry hesitantly grasped Bifur's hand and with an expression of pain, carefully stood. They all smiled seeing the little toy wolf still clutched to his thin chest like a life line.

Slowly, Bifur led young Harry over to the rest of the company, taking it nice and slow so as not to frighten the child. Nervously, Harry clung to the thick fingered hand in his grasp and unconsciously pressed his small trembling body into the taller males side, seeking comfort and protection.

For a moment, Bifur stopped and glanced around trying to come to a choice, before carefully striding over to Kili and Fili. Both dwarves were the youngest in the group, but fiercely protective. Ori was not a wise choice, as whilst he was a sweet young dwarf, he was timid and unsure of himself. This boy needed dwarves he felt he could count on.

Grunting to himself with a nod, pleased at his decision, he rumbled something at the two males, watching them wiggle apart to make space for the small boy. Looking down at Harry, he grunted softly, unable to speak the common tongue since his incident with the axe. Gently he patted the space that had been made and offered a smile to the little boy.

There was hesitation for a few moments, before finally the little boy nodded warily and timidly settled himself down on the log between the two young dwarves. His little feet not even brushing the ground.

Giving a firm pleased nod, Bifur gently handed the boy some food, smiling as he only hesitated for a moment before digging in hungrily. He gave a soft ruffle to the messy hair getting him to slow down and not make himself sick before he stood and walked over to Oin, speaking in the old language for a few moments about the boys wounds.

Seeing they are of no use, the others started tending to their own things. Balin muttering quietly with Dwalin. Bofur and Bombur going through their bags to see if they had anything to help little harry. Ori knitting a sweater to fit the young boy. Nori and Dori arguing as they gathered more firewood. Gloin helping Oin and Bifur with what ever they were doing, and Thorin simply watching as his nephews gently tried to break through the little ones shell.

Kili glanced down at the skinny little form between him and his brother. Had he ever been that small? This child was tiny, looking like an underweight three or four year old child of man. Lifting his head, he glanced at his brother Fili for a moment before nodding. They may not be as old as the other dwarves, still considered young amongst their kind, But they would do all they could for this boy. They had always wanted a younger sibling anyway.

Kili was the first to speak up "hello, Kili-" His brother interrupted "And Fili-" Then both chimed at once "At your service~!" Both dwarves gave a silly bow from their seated positions, wide mischievous grins on their faces.

The young boys head swivelled between them both as they spoke, eyes crinkling in delight as a very small giggle escaped him at their antics. He wasn't sure why, but they reminded him of two people that he couldn't quite remember. "I-I'm Harry..." He spoke up shyly, peeking up at the two from beneath his messy fringe, hesitant to raise his voice as he knew being loud meant punishment.

Kili and Fili gave wide grins at the sweet little voice, deciding that the adorable little smile on the lad's face would have to stay. " A pleasure to meet you little Harry!" Kili chirped with a grin, earning yet another timid little smile from Harry.

Fili spoke up then, absently watching as bifur rumbled in the old tongue about Harry's health to Oin, who kept handing off various ointments and potions to Gloin. From the Thunderous look on Thorin's face, it was obvious that what ever was being said was not good. Curiosity got the better of him, and Fili gently turned to the emaciated youngster sitting next to him. "Harry? Would you be able to tell us what befell you? Are your parents within the area?" Fili asked gently, not wanting to upset him but knowing they needed to know so that plans could be made.

Harry's shoulders drooped and he suddenly seemed to find his strange foot wear very very interesting. It was several moments before Harry finally spoke. "M-my uncle...He was mad." He whispered quietly, as if expecting said male to jump out of nowhere and launch himself at him.

They both looked confused for a moment. Asking gently. "Mad?"

Harry nodded softly, little hands fisting in his odd clothing and clutching his new toy closer. " Angry" Harry whispered shakily, a few tears clinging to his long lashes before falling onto the wooden wolf. He brushed the tears from the toy reverently, seeming to care more about the state of the toy then himself.

Kili and Fili's stomachs dropped, shocked that anyone would do this to a child, let alone family. The brothers cast each other sombre looks. They weren't going to like what the child had to say. Seeing the little boy's distress, Kili was the one to break the silence. "What happened Harry? Why was your uncle angry?" He spoke carefully and slowly, like talking to a frightened animal.

Harry trembled, shaking his head quickly, suddenly looking petrified as he shakily stood on his feet and backed away from the two brothers. No! They couldn't find out! If they knew of his freakishness they would hurt him!

Lost in his panic, Harry sunk to his little knees, sobbing and clutching at his head. His little body shook like a leaf, strangled sobs coming from him as he rocked back and forth in a childish attempt to calm himself. Voices were muffled in his panic. However the shouting still terrified him. Large warm arms gently scooped him up and he struggled for a moment letting out terrified cries. The person holding him grumbled something, but it did little to calm him. It wasn't until they began to hum a familiar tune, that his struggles stopped.

Bifur jerked his head up swiftly as he heard Harry shout out in panic. Looking up, he ignored the shouting of the other dwarves as they started telling off Kili and Fili for what ever they had done to frighten the boy. His focus, was on Harry. Little harry was curled up on himself, crying and babbling apologies in the common tongue as he rocked himself in fright. Bifur knew what was happening, had experienced panic attacks himself many a times since his injury.

Shoving past the bickering dwarves, he knelt down and swiftly scooped the little boy up, grunting as the child began to flail and cry out in fear. Thinking as quickly as his damaged brain would allow, Bifur began to hum the tune he had hummed before to coax him out from the rocks. Almost instantly it began to work.

Slowly, Harry began to melt into his hold, struggling stopping and little body curling into his as a source of comfort.

Continuing to hum, Bifur turned a glare on the still yelling dwarves, eventually managing to silence them with the look alone. Standing there, he rocked the small child as he hummed, slowly taking a seat and letting Harry cry until he was calm again.

It took about half an hour, a lot of patience, and the constant gentle humming for the little boy to relax again, with only the occasional hiccup and sniffle sounding from him. Grunting, pleased at this, he gently smoothed his large hand over Harry's head, humming as he did and letting the child react when he was good and ready.

Kili and Fili looked pale and sombre, not even reacting to the yelling they had received as they usually did. Thorin looked furious and worried all in one as his eyes darted between the still trembling child in Bifur's arms and his two shaken nephews.

Finally having had enough of the silence and wanting to know what had upset the little one so much, Thorin turned his infamous scowl on Kili and fili. His arms crossed over his thick barrelled chest as he looked down at his nephews. "what came to pass that upset the youngling so much?!" He asked angrily. His patience wore thin as they didn't answer straight away. He lowered his voice to a harsh whisper as Bifur gave him a a pointed look. "well?" he snapped at the two guilty looking dwarves.

Kili and Fili glanced at each other before speaking quietly to their uncle. "We didn't intend to make Harry cry..." Fili said quietly. "Honest" Whispered Kili. "We just asked him what had happened to him and if his parents were in the area" Kili spoke worriedly, glancing at Fili.

Fili nodded in agreement meeting Kili's look with his own worried glance. " He said that his uncle was angry. Then we asked why his uncle had been angry-" Fili spoke, interrupted by Kili who nodded rapidly.

"Then he started crying and shaking his head, and... well... You saw the rest..." Kili spoke softly, worriedly looking over at Bifur and the child.

Thorin sighed deeply, rubbing the bridge of his nose with a scowl. They had done nothing wrong. That left him to wonder, just what it was about their question that had terrified young Harry so much. Frowning, Thorin lifted his head and looked over at the young boy, currently being hummed to and rocked like a babe in Bifur's arms. He had a feeling this was going to take a lot of patience and understanding, if they were to help little Harry.

–  
>Authors notes: Thank you for the reviews! I love them! And I love questions!<br>Since there are a few people asking the same questions, I thought I would start putting the answers here so that everyone can see them if they want to (does anyone even read my notes?)

Also, I am starting a poll vote! Please leave a comment/ review with your vote down bellow!

1. Should Mother Magic give Harry access to Hedwig? Yes/No

2. Should Mother Magic give Harry access to Dobby? Yes/ No

3. Should Harry have, not only parseltongue, but beast speak also? Yes/No

4. Should Harry  
>A) Help the dwarves defeat Smaug?<br>OR  
>B) Befriend Tame Smaug?

5. Should Harry arrive  
>A) First with Dwalin?<br>B) Second with Balin?  
>C) Third with Fili and Kili?<br>D) Fourth with Oin, Gloin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Ori, Nori, Dori and Gandalf?  
>E) Fifth and last with Thorin?<p>

ANSWER SECTION:

Silvermane1— will harry show any magic around the dawrf's and can he still speak snake. Can mother magic give him hedwig and dobby back to harry

Answer—Yes Harry will be showing magic, though it will be mostly accidental magic as at such a young age, his core is still developing.  
>Yes he will speak parseltongue and possibly beast speak depending on the votes.<br>And yes she CAN give Dobby and Hedwig to him, but again I am unsure if I will add them into the story or not yet. I will let the votes decide I think.

Ox Kings— I take it that the story is before the company reaches the Shire?

Answer— You are correct. Right now, The dwarves are travelling towards the shire to meet with Gandalf. They will of course split up for some reason or another before they reach the shire, so that they may make the same entrance as in the movie. As of yet I am uncertain who to make Harry arrive with. It will most likely be decided via the Vote system.

Wise-wren-owl— Are Bilbo and Gandulf with the company right now?only the Darrow were mentioned.

Answer— No, like I mentioned in the above answer, this is before the dwarves meet Bilbo and Gandalf in the shire.

Istari— Interesting :) just wondering though. If he is an elfling why the glasses? Cant wait go see what you do with this

Answer— I am not sure if anyone noticed, but in the second chapter, Magic herself states That, whilst she has healed his magic from the binds dumbledork placed one him and the potions and poisons in his system suppressing and damaging his magic, she did not heal his physical wounds. She left these because she needed the dwarves to understand the horrible abuse that harry had been through and help heal his mind appropriately.  
>Because she is unable to heal his physical form, He is, as mentioned, very emaciated from the starvation he endured at the hands of his relatives.<br>Malnutrition and weight, hold a large control over a persons eye sight.  
>You may have someone gain 30 kilos and find themselves suddenly needing glasses. Or you may have someone with an eating disorder, or poor access to food, suddenly loose a large amount of weight, and find themselves having to wear glasses for a similar reason.<br>Since Harry is so heavily underweight, his elven healing will not be able to kick in and heal his eyes until he is at a more healthy weight. Then and only then will he be able to ditch the glasses.

Please feel free to ask more questions. I THRIVE on them.


	7. Chapter 7

Harry sniffled softly as he sat curled up in Bifur's arms. He had long since calmed down from his little episode, and was now drinking in all the comfort he could in Bifur's hold. He knew there were many things he couldn't remember for some reason, could feel the strange barriers around some of his memories when he tried to think of them. Despite that fact, he some how knew that he had never been held like this after his parents died. He was torn between desperately wanting to scramble away from the feeling of being touched, and wanting to curl deeper into the protective embrace, if only to soak up the comfort and warmth for just a little longer. Luckily for him, it seemed Bifur had no intention of putting him down any time soon. With a smile at that thought, he let his already exhausted body relax, and slowly drifted off to sleep.

Bifur continued to hum deeply as he held the little boy, letting out a relieved sigh when green eyes finally fluttered shut, and the little body sagged with sleep. He wanted to make sure he was sleeping soundly, and so remained like this for a while before nodding with a grunt towards Oin and Gloin.

Oin wasted no time in hurrying over with his arms full of supplies, Gloin following closely with the rest and setting them down carefully so as not to incur the wrath of his brother. Kneeling down next to Bifur who held the young boy close, Oin carefully pried up the strange oversized shirt, being careful not to let it catch and tear anything open as it was soaked and crusted with blood. What he saw made him feel sick to his stomach. Gloin dry heaved at the sight of the wounds, feeling physically sick at the idea of anyone harming a child in such a way.

The injuries on little Harry's body, where by no means the worst injuries the dwarves had ever seen. However, they were the most disturbing, being that they had been delivered to a small helpless child, and even worse, by those he should have been able to trust. No adult should ever be allowed to harm a child in such a way.

With his shirt gently held up, Harry's emaciation was more clear then ever. Almost every rib was visible, his pale skin seeming stretched too tight and too thin over his bony frame. Along his back were dark angry looking welts from some kind of belt. He had been whipped so hard that it had broken the skin. Untreated as they were, the wounds were now festering slightly, oozing blood, and clear fluid from the inflamed wounds. His tiny stomach, was covered in blotchy purple, blue and, yellow bruises, from what looked like a very large boot. Thin white scars laced their way over the pale skin under the little boys shirt, showing that this abuse was far from new.

Thorin had to turn away in his anger at the sight, standing silently as he fumed and imagined the various punishments that could be dealt to the ones responsible. Human or not, He would see that the people who had done this, and allowed this to happen, would see dwarven justice. His hands itched to capture the pathetic worms who had harmed the young lad.

Oin sighed slowly to calm his own anger, knowing he had to focus on healing what he could of Harry's wounds before the boy woke. Oin shared a glance with his brother Gloin for a moment before picking up a cream to help with the bruising on the boys stomach. Gloin quickly set off to get some of the bandages from Oin's bag, grasping a wash cloth and bottle of clean water on his way.

Washing the wounds on Harry's back took precedence over anything else for the moment. So it was that very task, that Oin took up the moment Gloin returned with the water and wash cloth. Once the wounds were cleaned, Gloin handed his brother the right pastes and salves, and Oin gently began to apply them to the sleeping boys back. These wounds were then bandaged gently and carefully.

With those wounds dealt with, Oin tended to what he could get to of the child's legs, finding more dark bruising, some swelling in places, and a number of fine scratches and welts. Moving his way up, He found an old burn on Harry's hand from what looked like oil of some kind. This too had a paste gently applied to it. Not wanting to miss a single injury that he could get to while the lad still slept, Oin started inspecting what he could see of his body. He was checking harry's head for lumps or cuts in the thick messy hair when he saw them.

" By my beard!" Oin gasped in shock as he saw the delicately pointed ears hidden behind the mop of messy black hair on little Harry's head. Lifting his head with a shocked expression, he turned to Thorin, breathing out in shock. "The lad is an elfling!"

Everyone scrambled up to see his ears at the words, Thorin leaning forward with wide eyes to take in the softly pointed little ears that so suited the delicate features of the tiny boy.

Kili spoke up then, wide eyed also. "He... he said his uncle did this... does that mean?" He paused looking up at Thorin and waiting for a response.

Thorin looked even more furious and grave then before. "It does. All the more reason not to trust elves." He spat the word in disgust, rage burning thickly within him, knowing that elves had sunk so low as to harm a youngling. The hate he held for elves seemed to bloom stronger in his heart as he stared at the small abused child.

In the face of such shocking truths, none of the other dwarves could speak a word in response. Bifur it seemed, was the only one who seemed unsurprised at the news. Though such a thing was not to shocking to his cousins. Both Bofur and Bombur new it was Bifur's fine attention to detail that led him to know things before many others, despite his disability.

For the next few hours, the company of dwarves were strangely silent as they went about their tasks, all deep in thought and unwilling to interrupt the sleep of the little one held in Bifur's arms. None where aware of the presence currently watching over the young boy, nor the powerful forces at work.

–

Mother Magic was silent as she watched over the happenings of the dwarves her dear child was in the care of. She had chosen well. Despite the chosen race she had made her child's body, the dwarves had not shunned him, rather they had embraced him even more so, believing it was elves who had harmed the little one so harshly.

She sighed softly, lowering her self until she was hovering protectively above the damaged dwarf who held her little Harry. The child was sleeping soundly, stressed and overwhelmed from everything that had been happening. She smiled, pleased with her choice of vessel for him.

His new elven body would eventually heal of all his physical wounds and ailments. It would also allow a stronger tie to nature, something he would need to help ground the abilities that had previously been stolen and locked away from him by the meddling old man. With this body, he would now be able to have his reflexes react as fast as his sharp little mind did. No longer would he be slowed down by a body that couldn't quite keep up with his mental and magical skills.

Glancing up at the dwarves surrounding her child protectively, Mother Magic found herself frowning slightly at the thought of what was to come. A journey was ahead that would mean Harry meeting many new faces and trials. She worried somewhat over how he would react to the Istari, but knew it was a meeting that needed to take place.

Sensing her child begin to wake, she placed a kiss upon his brow before gently fading into obscurity again. For now she would remain nothing but a vague sensation to him. But some day, She would let him become fully aware of her presence. Harry would be the one to strengthen the Magic that was fading from this world, taking so many great races with it. It would be Harry that would eventually tie it all together. Harry, the child of Magic.

Authors notes:  
>There has been a LOT of responses to my last poll, I thank you all very much for it. Your comments and votes have been a great help in me deciding how to go about a few things in this story.<br>Does anyone know the time line for the journey? Like how many days they stay where etc?  
>I know the whole thing took about a year in total, but that is all.<br>I have another poll vote for you, but this one is different.  
>I wont be telling you what the question is. I simply want you to choose an answer. Im curious about what it will be. ( and if any of you will realise what the question might be) ( p.s. You can choose more then one, but one needs to be selected above the others)<p>

PICK ONE:

Snake  
>Wolf<br>Warg  
>Phoenix<br>Great eagle  
>Owl<br>Horse  
>Raven<br>Fox  
>Hippogriff<br>Basilisk  
>Thestral<br>Crup


	8. Chapter 8

Harry woke slowly from his slumber, at first content to simply doze in Bifur's arms. Gradually his senses started coming back to life and he opened his eyes, shifting his glasses slightly as he took in the sight of the dwarves puttering around the camp-site and talking quietly. Giving a soft small sigh, not wanting to get in trouble for sleeping and being lazy, he started to shift, tensing when he realised something was different.

Bifur grumbled something in that strange rumbling language and a few of the dwarves paused and looked over. They watched as Harry warily sat up in Bifur's lap and shakily pulled up his ratty shirt a bit, eyeing the bandages carefully wrapped around his torso. A few of the older dwarves glanced at each other worriedly, awaiting the lad's reaction with bated breath.

Harry trembled finely in panic as he took in the bandages on his body. They had seen his wounds, had seen the punishment his uncle had given him! What if they knew he was a freak now? What if they treated him differently? Started hurting him like his uncle, aunt and cousin did? He was so caught up in his panic, he didn't even notice as he started to sob softly. It was as Bifur let out a soft rumbling sound and held him closer gently stroking his hair to calm him, that he finally noticed his own panicked noises. Instantly he sniffled and silenced himself, fearful of the punishment he would receive for making too much noise.

The sight and sound of little Harry's break down felt like a blow of a forging hammer to the company's hearts. The sound was so heart broken and terrified, several of the older dwarves having to hold themselves back from rushing to comfort the little one, knowing that crowding him was the worst thing to do. Each of them were glancing at each other trying to figure out something to do, when Kili and Fili finally stepped in to assist Bifur in cheering the little boy up.

Kili and Fili skulked over to Harry and Bifur with guilty expressions, both settling themselves in a crouch in front of Bifur, little Harry nervously glancing at them with his vivid green eyes from the elder dwarves lap.

"H-hello Harry... we wanted to apologise for upsetting you before..." Fili started awkwardly, as he fiddled with one of his braids.

"We didn't mean to... Honest! " Kili said looking up at Harry as they fidgeted slightly.

Both dwarves proceeded to give Harry their best puppy dog eyes, the ones that never failed to work on their beloved uncle when they had done something particularly devious or head ache inducing as young dwarves.

At first Harry simply stared at them as if they had grown second heads, his wide emeralds eyes still shimmering with tears from his episode. Slowly his little face morphed from one of bafflement to amusement, a soft little smile spreading over his mouth as he shyly curled further into Bifur's hold, and nodded. Both Kili and Fili broke into wide cheeky grins at the adorable sight and gave dramatic sweeping bows from their crouched positions, something that managed to be their downfall as Kili slipped and smacked into Fili with a yelp, sending both dwarves sprawling on the ground in front of Bifur and Harry. Silence echoed in the clearing for a few moments before the sweetest and most adorable sound erupted from the tiny raven haired youth. Giggles spilling from Harry's lips.

Every one seemed to heave a combined sigh of relief seeing the crisis averted, and soon warm chuckles and snorts filled the air as all the others enjoyed the hilarity of the situation at the young dwarves expenses. The small relieved smiles that Kili and Fili shot each other from their spot on the ground where they had "accidentally" fallen, was unseen by the others. Mission make Harry smile accomplished.

The rest of the day went off luckily without a hitch. Young Harry had taken a shining to Kili and Fili, allowing the two mischievous dwarves to entertain him, but unwilling to stray too far from Bifur at all. If the elder dwarf was bothered, he did not show it. Lunch and Dinner went by rather uneventful, Harry seeming to slowly become more and more trusting with his food, only waiting a few moments before eating his food without complaint.

As the sun finally settled, the only light coming from the moon and stars and the crackling fire in the centre of the company, Harry sat silently staring up in apparent awe at the night sky. Bifur sat silently beside the little boy on his own bed roll, having given the only spare bed roll to little Harry. Kili and Fili had moved their bed rolls over near Harry, much to the child's delight, and both lay sprawled on their backs, glancing every now and then from harry to the night sky then back again.

"I've never seen so many stars..." Harry finally spoke up, bringing Bifur, Kili and Fili's attention to him, Thorin silently listening not far away. Harry blushed slightly and scratched at the bridge of his thin little nose sheepishly as he realised he had spoken aloud and smiled shyly at the two brothers staring at him. Seeming happy that he was engaging them in conversation, Kili and Fili rolled over to face the boy properly.

" Really? Why not?" Kili spoke up in confusion.

Harry looked down at his little toy wolf, fiddling softly with the creature as he thought over his words carefully. His thin shoulders gave a gentle shrug as he spoke up, worrying his lip between his teeth. " S-sometimes aunt Petunia forgets me and locks me out for the night... t-there always seems a lot less starts in the sky there... "

Both males looked at each other silently, realising they were heading back down what was obviously an upsetting path. Thinking quickly, Kili sat up with a grin and clapped his hands together slightly. He grimaced softly as the sound made Harry jump and clutch his toy tighter, mentally noting that loud noises were a definite no. "Have you ever ridden a pony Harry?" The young dwarf cheekily grinned at him.

Harry blinked softly, seemingly not having expected the question before shaking his head gently. "N-no... I haven't... my cousin rode one at a fair once... but I had to stay by the car"

Kili's smile faltered only slightly, momentarily baffled as to what exactly a fair and a car was. Soon he shrugged, smiling full force again and deflecting the thought with practised ease. "Would you like to have a ride on one of the ponies tomorrow? " Kili asked happily.

Fili perked up at the idea, and glanced up at Bifur for approval. Bifur paused a moment then grunted and nodded rumbling softly in the old tongue. Fili grinned wide, knowing what he said was true. The sooner they could get little Harry accustomed to ridding with them on the ponies, the sooner they could begin their travels again.

Harry perked up shyly, wide green eyes looking hopefully and cautiously up at the two dwarves he was beginning to trust. Wiggling silently in spot he looked up at Bifur, who he had been told today could understand him but not respond thanks to the wound in his head, only able to speak some language called khuzdul. Shyly clutching his toy, he lightly tugged on the larger dwarfs sleeve, hesitant to initiate any kind of touch with another, quickly snatching his hand back once he had his attention. "Would i-it be alright if I tried riding the p-ponies with Fili and Kili tomorrow?" Harry asked, little heart pounding with anxiety at asking for anything.

Bifur looked down at the little boy and gave a soft affirmative nod and grunt, gently ruffling his hair and ignoring the flinch knowing it would take time for Harry to get over the natural urge to avoid any hits. Harry smiled shyly up at him then nodded excitedly at Kili and Fili, speaking up again. "Yes please". He said shyly, giving a soft little giggle as Kili let out a dramatic whoop of joy, instantly getting berated by several of the older dwarves.

Harry smiled as the two kept chattering to him, telling him of grand tales of mischief and troublemaking. So enjoying the tales, he didn't even notice as his eyes began to sag shut, little mouth opening wide with yawns occasionally. The brothers slowly trailed off, sharing grins at the sight of the little form curled in a half slumped over position, already mostly asleep. Bifur, let out a soft chuff of amusement, gently laying him down and tucking him into his bed roll snugly, fond grins from most of the company trained on the adorable sight.

Slowly, the rest of the company settled down for sleep, Dwalin remaining up to keep watch, glancing over and watching Thorin as the male stood brooding. Eventually, Thorin glanced over at his friend and former mentor, walking over to silently sit beside him and look over the surrounding Forrest for a time. Dwalin was the one to eventually break the silence. "What do you intend to do about the lad Thorin?" He asked gruffly, curious as to how the soon to be king would handle the bizarre situation.

Thorin remained silent for some time, scowling at nothing as he fiddled with the thick rings on his fingers before finally responding, his tone final and firm in its choice. "The youngling will remain in our care for now, there is no safer place then amongst a company of dwarves" Thorin spoke, receiving a curt nod from his friend.

Unnoticed by Thorin and Dwalin, several "sleeping" dwarves seemed to instantly relax in their bed rolls, slowly drifting off to sleep, content with the knowledge that the little elfling would be remaining in their care. Tomorrow Harry would learn to ride, and with luck, they would soon be resuming their journey, and their quest.

Authors notes: Ok, so sorry for the delay in getting this chapter done, I have been quite sick lately and cant seem to kick it. There has also been a lot of negative crap going on in my life that has me struggling to cope very well right now.  
>That said, I have been getting a lot of messages asking ( some demanding ) that I start uploading larger chapters.<br>I have responded to several people about it, but there are so many asking that I cant respond to all and keep track of it. So I'll say it now.  
>I have a lot of difficulty maintaining motivation and momentum in things. I tend to have several projects going at once to combat this. When it comes to writing, I have to write in small frequent bursts or I loose all momentum and end up ditching my stories. If I want to keep this story going, I need to upload small sections of writing, every time I get the chance to do them. I am sorry that its not more, and I am sorry that some of you find that so offensive, but it is that or the story eventually gets ditched from my poor attention span.<p>

That being said, I will answer the other frequently asked question. Yes, both polls are still open and will remain so until their place in the plot has been typed in and cemented.

Please continue asking questions about the story or giving suggestions and opinions, I love them and they help me get excited about the story and want to continue. Have a lovely new year everyone.


	9. Chapter 9

Pain and hunger was all he felt. Harry was curled up in the tiny space under the stairs, on a thin mattress that he was sure had once been for a babies cot. The small space was pitch black except for the tiny slither of light that shone around the edges of the door. Uncle Vernon had taken the bulb out only hours before, further punishment for his freakishness, when he had decided that yesterday's beating had not been enough.

Letting out soft broken sobs, he held his small hands over his mouth to try and silence them. His body was trembling with fear, pain and hunger as he listened to the goings on of the Dursley house hold. The hours seemed to blend together as he sat there, huddled in the dark.  
>Eventually however, the door was opened. Aunt petunia sneered down at him and dropped a stale piece of dry bread and a small cube of cheese into his lap, then promptly slammed the door. Once the click of the latch sounded, Harry hungrily ate the food. The hours continued to drag on, and finally Harry drifted back off into a fitful sleep.<p>

When Harry finally woke, He laid silent for a number of moments. Had Bifur, Kili, Fili, and the others been a dream? Was he going to open his eyes and see uncle Vernon's purpling face staring down at him getting ready to yell?

Hushed voices rumbled near by, and soft warmth still surrounded him. His heart leapt in hope and slowly he hesitantly opened his eyes. Looking around, he took in the silent camp with growing joy.

Dwalin seemed to have recently awoken, and sat speaking in hushed tones to Balin and Thorin. Oin and Gloin were gesturing wildly to each other and seemed to be in the middle of a heated argument as they sat a little ways from the camp surrounded by various balms and ointments from what looked like a spilt bag. Ori sat near the now dead fire, Knitting something with an intent look on his face, his tongue sticking out between his lips as his thick fingers moved surprisingly fast. Dori was watching him like a hawk, with his arms crossed and a sour expression on his face, and Nori was nowhere to be seen. Bifur seemed to be helping Bombur, who was making breakfast at a rather relaxed pace as he chatted with his brother and chortled occasionally.

Harry blinked quietly, not yet moving from the position he had been asleep in, as if not wanting to break some sort of spell. Lifting his gaze, he found himself peering up into the warm and worried eyes of Bifur. The older male sitting silently beside him, whittling away at a piece of wood. A few feet away from them, Sat Kili and Fili, who both seemed to be waiting for something with all the patience of two year olds.

Harry stared at the three closest to him for a few more moments, his heart clenching painfully in a mixture of relief and joy. His eyes teared up quickly and he made a choked sound, Barely hearing Bifur's worried questioning grunt.

A bright, blinding smile spread broadly across Harry's face as he curled up on himself, crying. Bifur's large warm hands quickly but gently shifted Harry into his lap, Stroking his hair and rumbling something in that strange language to Kili and Fili. The brothers instantly scrambled over, dipping their heads down to Harry's level and questioning him gently.

"Harry? What is is that has made you cry?" Fili asked worriedly, glancing at Kili.

Slowly Harry lifted his face, further confusing the now silent dwarves with the Bright overjoyed smile on the little boys face. "It wasn't a dream! You're all real! I wasn't dreaming!"He said brightly in between hysterical sobs.

For a moment, almost every dwarf in that clearing could have sworn their hearts faltered. Even Thorin sat with a winded expression, hand absently coming to rest on his chest as he stared in shock at little Harry. Who would have thought there would be a day when he would feel such warmth towards an elf of any kind. From the expressions on the rest of the company's faces, they all were thinking something similar.

It took twenty minutes for Bifur to finally calm Harry with Kili and Fili's help. Oin then made it a point to come over and gently re-bandage the slightly tense elfling's wounds before Bombur carefully handed the small child a good serving of breakfast. Harry was quick to eat it all down. He had been starved for so long that the meal seemed like a kings feast, despite it being smaller then a normal child's meal should be. The dwarves knew well that they would have to slowly increase his meal sizes, as his stomach would have shrunk from such extended periods without food. A large serving would likely make him throw up, wasting precious food and energy.

Kili and Fili seemed to practically inhale their meals, seeming unable to keep still where they sat on a fallen tree. As soon as Harry had finished his meal, the energetic brothers sprung up and came over with equal grins, sitting either side of Bifur to wink cheekily at the elfling in his lap. Bifur snorted quietly at their antics but otherwise ignored them, knowing it was Harry's attention they wanted.

"Have you finished your meal there Harry? Fili and I thought we could show you the ponies now" Kili piped up with a wide grin, Fili nodding with a smile in agreement.

Harry blinked and giggled softly at them, feeling strangely giddy today. Shyly he glanced up at Bifur then gave then both a shy nod. Kili and Fili whooped, making him giggle again as he slipped carefully out of Bifur's lap. He hesitated for a moment before carefully setting the wolf carving he had been carrying everywhere, gently beside Bifur.

Taking Kili and Fili's offered hands, the delicate little elf child shyly followed them both over to where 16 ponies stood nibbling on grass and plants. The ponies gear sat off to the side with some of the equipment they hadn't needed yet. At first, Kili and Fili simply introduced the young lad to each of the ponies. They let him grow comfortable with the larger creatures, delighting in his giggles and smiles as they helped him give the ponies treats and pet them.

"What do you think Harry?" Kili asked smiling as he watched Harry feed one of them an apple. "Would you like to try have a ride?"

Harry blinked and fidgeted for a moment, looking unsure. The pony he was petting made a snorting sound that made his hair fluff up for a moment and elected a fit of giggles. Smiling shyly, Harry nodded and tensed a little as Fili very carefully picked the injured little boy up and sat him down on the docile pony's back.

Slowly, Fili showed Harry how to hold on properly, and stayed by his side as Kili started slowly leading the calm pony around. All of this taking place under the watchful eyes of every dwarf in the company. Despite having been in their presence for such a short time, young Harry was already firmly rooted in each of their hearts and minds.

Completely oblivious to the observing eyes trained on him, Harry was quite enjoying himself. Sitting astride the beast, was tugging at memories that he couldn't quite grasp onto. He could however, remember the sensation of wind rushing against his skin and a feeling of exhilaration. Grinning to himself, he petted the ponies neck as he rode around for a while, squealing in delight as Kili shifted into a jog and the pony into a light trot. The soft huff and quiet muttering from an unfamiliar voice had him tensing for a moment as he tried to figure out where it came from.

This was eventually forgotten as the riding lessons continued, with the occasional playful banter and chatting from the two dwarves that had decided to take him under their "wings". Kili slowed to a stop around lunch time and gently helped get Harry down, smiling and leading him back over to Bifur whilst Fili put the pony back.

Harry glanced back in confusion as he swore he heard that voice again as Fili was walking away with the pony, muttering something about impatient dwarves. Shaking his little head, he smiled and timidly settled beside Bifur, already quite exhausted from all the play. Soon he had a meal in his lap curtsy of Bombur and at Bifur's urging he devoured his meal hungrily.

The camp was filled with quiet banter and rumbled murmurings as the 13 dwarves and the little elf lad enjoyed their meals and the company that came with it. None could sense the two silent entities watching over the small gathering.

Mother Magic watched silently over the camp, seemingly relieved about something. The entity had been fretting over her child and how he would react to the memories that would plague him from now on.

"Did I not tell you the boy was strong willed?" The second entity spoke, his voice sounding rich and deep.

Mother Magic sighed deeply, a habit she had picked up from observing humans for so long. "You did... " she replied calmly to the one beside her.

The second entity remained silent for a time before speaking again as they watched the two young dwarves try and coax young Harry to interact with the others. "His memories will be needed if he is to learn and grow in this world" He spoke again.

Mother Magic nodded yet again with a slight air of frustration towards her counterpart, only receiving a deep chuckle in return. "Do you intend to reveal yourself to my child?"She asked curiously, eyeing her long time friend.

The second entity paused in his observation of the young child and turned his gaze slowly towards Mother Magic. "This is not like other times is it?" he more stated then asked, glancing slowly back towards Mother Magic's young charge. "You have truly claimed him as your child?" He asked with a faint tilt of his head. He watched as she nodded, her warm visage focused lovingly on the reborn child. Releasing a faint hum of understanding, he gazed back at Harry.

"Indeed I do" The second entity finally responded.

The two watched the small elfling and the dwarves for hours as the day slowly passed. They were unchanged by the passage of time. Eventually the second entity shifted, turning to regard the young boy sleepily slumped against one of the dwarves he had first bonded with. Magic turned her gaze towards him, nodding silently in understanding of the others silent wish to depart.

"I will leave for now, but know that I will return to his side when the time is right" The second entity stated, gazing at Mother Magic for a moment before fading into the darkness of the void.

Mother Magic nodded silently as she watched him leave, speaking up as her friend faded into the void to attend another world. "Until then my friend... Death." She spoke softly, watching Harry for a few moments more before slipping away as well.

Harry paused in his giggling as he listened to Kili and Fili banter from where he sat at Bifur's side. Slowly he turned and frowned, eyeing the area behind him curiously for a few moments before he turned back to the two before him. Strange, for a moment he could have sworn he could feel himself being watched.

Authors Notes:  
>Mother of fuuuuck this chapter was a bitch to write. I am so so so sorry to everyone that I have taken so long. I have had one bad thing after another these past days. I have been in an almost constant state of illness and anxiety with the problems I'm going through right now.<p>

Every day has been a struggle to simply get up. I don't think it is humanly possible to produce as many tears as I have managed to lately. Its insane!

Any how, hope you like this chapter. I've re written it a million and one times and am still not happy with it ( probably just my current mental state though.) I no longer have a beta reader so I apologise for any mistakes.

My questions for this chapter is:

-What abuse have you or someone you know faced and how does it affect you now?

-What things would you like to see happen in this story?

( please note this does not mean I will include them, but I may)


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